Microsoft Word Five Stages of Grief docx

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Name ______________________________________                                Date _____________________ 

Five Stages of Grief - Elizabeth Kübler Ross 

EKR stage 

Interpretation 

1 - Denial 

Denial is a conscious or unconscious refusal to accept facts, 

information, reality, etc., relating to the situation concerned. It's a 

defense mechanism and perfectly natural. Some people can 

become locked in this stage when dealing with a traumatic 

change that can be ignored. Death of course is not particularly 

easy to avoid or evade indefinitely. 

2 - Anger 

Anger can manifest in different ways. People dealing with 

emotional upset can be angry with themselves, and/or with 

others, especially those close to them. Knowing this helps keep 

detached and non-judgmental when experiencing the anger of 

someone who is very upset. 

3 - Bargaining  

Traditionally the bargaining stage for people facing death can 

involve attempting to bargain with whatever God the person 

believes in. People facing less serious trauma can bargain or seek 

to negotiate a compromise. For example "Can we still be 

friends?.." when facing a break-up. Bargaining rarely provides a 

sustainable solution, especially if it's a matter of life or death. 

4 - Depression  

Also referred to as preparatory grieving. In a way it's the dress 

rehearsal or the practice run for the 'aftermath' although this 

stage means different things depending on whom it involves. It's 

a sort of acceptance with emotional attachment. It's natural to 

feel sadness and regret, fear, uncertainty, etc. It shows that the 

person has at least begun to accept the reality.  

5 - Acceptance  

Again this stage definitely varies according to the person's 

situation, although broadly it is an indication that there is some 

emotional detachment and objectivity. People dying can enter this 

stage a long time before the people they leave behind, who must 

necessarily pass through their own individual stages of dealing 

with the grief. 

(Based on the Grief Cycle model first published in On Death & Dying, Elisabeth Kübler-

Ross, 1969. Interpretation by Alan Chapman 2006-2013.) 

 

 

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